Playtime
by Lucy Samb
Summary: One-shot story about Darren Criss in kindergarten and how he met his first friend. There is a fairy tale lived by two little kids who met in the playtime. And the fairy tale begins like this..."Once upon a time a shy boy and an ignored girl got together and united in their playtime to become the prince and the princess of their own fairy tale to live happily ever after."


**PLAYTIME**

* * *

_There are tiny little fingers pressed against my cheek, and the palm of the hand that holds all my dreams._

_There is a careful little grimace directed right at me, and the expression of innocence that grabs me every time._

_There is a pair of big hazel eyes that light up in the dark, and the window to a soul that knows only truth._

_There are clumsy little legs dancing to a tune, and a chubby little bottom to break their every fall._

_There is a babble and some laughter coming from my room, and the sounds of heaven right here in my home._

_There is chaos in the kitchen, and toys all down the hall, a reminder to us all that time is so precious._

_There are cookie crumbs on the table, and milk spilled on the carpet, but an image of simplicity and joy came with the mess._

_There are car keys in the toilet and the unmistakable sense my life is full._

_There are two kids fast asleep, just in the other room, and a friendship that convinced everybody that wonders never cease._

_There is a fairy tale lived by two little kids that met in the playtime. And the fairy tale begins like this..._

* * *

_ONCE UPON A TIME…_

* * *

This was his first day in kindergarten. His mommy told him that he was big boy now because he was 5 years old, so that it was time for him to play with other kids. Although she told him he was gonna have fun, he didn't want to be away from his mom. He just wanted to play with his toys and jump in his bed; he didn't want to be with other kids. When he saw a lot of kids like him playing and screaming, he held his mom's hand very tightly. An old woman walked towards where he and his mom were, she crouched and smiled brightly at him; but his big hazel eyes just looked shyly at his tiny feet.

_**"Hi, cutie. I'm Madeleine and I'm gonna be your teacher. What's your name?"**_ The woman with blue eyes and blonde wavy hair asked sweetly. The little boy just hid his face behind his mom and pouted.

_**"Darren."**_ The little boy answered softly, avoiding any kind of eye contact.

_**"It's really nice to meet you, Darren."**_ The woman called Madeleine said kindly, placing one hand on his tiny shoulder.

When she did this, Darren arched his back and hunched his shoulders. He pouted again and buried his head on his mom's hip, still clutching his mom's hand. He didn't know that woman and he didn't like being touched by strangers.

_**"I'm sorry, he's very shy."**_ He heard his mommy talking to Madeleine.

_**"Is this his first time in kindergarten?"**_ Madeleine asked while standing up and Darren saw his mother nodding. _**"Don't worry, Mrs. Criss, most of the toddlers are shy in their first day. It'll change when he begins to interact with other kids."**_

_**"Yes, I think it's time for him to start making friends. The only person with whom he plays is his older brother who is currently in elementary school."**_ His mom replied as Darren looked around and saw other kids playing in the sandbox.

He always wanted to play in the sandbox, but he didn't want to do it with those kids because he didn't know them; he just wanted to play with his brother Chuck; but Chuck wasn't at home during the morning and in afternoon he had to do something called homework to be a smart boy, as his mommy said. He also wanted to be smart boy and he couldn't understand why he didn't have that thing called homework. He just wanted to be like his brother Chuck.

_**"Oh, I'm sure he'll make friends here and he'll have fun."**_ His teacher Madeleine said.

_**"I hope so. Well, I really have to go back to work."**_ His mom said and when Darren heard this, he stepped closer to her.

_**"I understand. Don't worry, Mrs. Criss, he'll be in good hands."**_ Madeleine said and he saw how his mom grinned and nodded. Then the teacher crouched again and looked at him with a sweet smile. _**"Darren, what do you think if we go inside to draw with crayons?"**_ She asked and the little Darren shook his head. _**"No? Oh! I see! You like painting instead! We have a lot of watercolors!"**_ She exclaimed and he looked down again. He just wanted to go home.

_**"Darren, sweetie."**_ His mom said while crouching, placing both of her hands on his shoulders. The little kid looked deeply into his mom's eyes with his big and scared hazel eyes. _**"Mommy has to go right now, but I'll come back in a few hours." **_His mom said and Darren pouted as tears began to form in the corner of his eyes. _**"I want you to play with other kids and behave politely and kindly as I taught you. Do what your teacher Madeleine asks you to do. Can you do that, Darren?" **_His mom asked and the little boy nodded slowly, still with teary eyes. _**"Good boy."**_ She said with a proud smile, stroking his dark curly hair. _**"Mommy loves you."**_ She said fondly, kissing his forehead.

_**"I love you too, mommy."**_ The scared Darren whispered, throwing his arms around his mom's neck.

_**"I know, sweetheart."**_ She said affectionately, rubbing his back. _**"Now I have to go, okay?"**_

_**"No! Mommy, I don't want you to leave!"**_ Darren exclaimed with teary voice, clinging to his mother.

_**"Remember what we talked, sweetie. You're a big boy now and this is what big boys do, like your brother Chuck."**_ His mom said softly.

_**"I wanna go home with you, mommy! Don't leave me here alone! I don't wanna be a big boy!" **_The little and scared boy sobbed as big tears were running down his chubby cheeks.

_**"Sweetheart, don't cry."**_ His mom said reassuringly, now looking at him and wiping his tears away. _**"I'll be back and you'll have fun here. Don't you want to draw and play with blocks?"**_ She asked and Darren nodded with trembling lips and teary eyes. _**"Well, you'll do it! And your teacher Madeleine is a really nice person, you'll like her. Now I have to go, but Madeleine is gonna take care of you."**_ His mom said tenderly, kissing his chubby cheek. _**"I'll see you later. Remember to have fun!"**_ His mom said, standing up.

He held her hand very tightly and pouted. His mom squeezed it softly and then he felt how their hands parted. She smiled one more time at her son and then the little Darren saw how his mom started to walk away as tears began to stream down his face again. He wanted to go with his mommy, he wanted to play with her and he wanted to be at home. But now he was alone in a place he's never been before. He noticed how his new teacher took his hand and he let her doing so because his mother told him that she was a nice person; yet he didn't look at her.

_**"Come on, Darren, let's go inside and let's paint. What do you think?"**_ She asked nicely and Darren nodded, feeling very sad.

His teacher walked him inside as he noticed how many kids were looking at him and whispering secrets that he couldn't hear. He just looked down, walking with slow and awkward steps. The teacher started showing him the different play areas and he was just glancing, feeling dazed.

_**"Look, Darren... See this coat locker?"**_ She asked and the little boy nodded shyly. _**"Look, this one spells your name, Darren. This will be your exclusive coat rack, where you can leave your coat and your backpack. And in this shelf we're gonna place your lunch box. Okay?"**_ She asked and he nodded silently. _**"Good, now let me help you hang the backpack."**_ She said, steeping behind the kid to take his backpack and hang it on the rack; then she took his lunch box and placed it on the shelf. _**"Now, look what I have here! It's a name tag that will stay on you all day that says your name. I have one too, see? This one says my name. Can you remember my name?"**_ She asked.

_**"Madeleine."**_ Darren answered timidly, looking down and rocking.

_**"That's right! You're one clever boy."**_ She exclaimed joyfully and the little boy, for the first time, grinned faintly, feeling a bit happy for hearing that. _**"Now, I'll place this name tag on you." **_She said and the kid nodded as she placed the name tag on his t-shirt with a pin. _**"Look how lovely you look!"**_ She said and the little kid swung on his heels. _**"Now, let's go to those tables over there."**_ She said.

Darren nodded as the teacher took his hand again and led him to the table. Darren sat on one blue bucket chair and clasped his tiny hands, placing them between his thighs, slouching because of shyness. He was the only boy who was there; all other kids were outside, playing in the sandbox, the slide, the merry-go-round, the seesaw, the horse spring rider, the monkey bars, the crawl tubes, or the swings. He also wanted to play there, but he wanted to play with his brother. He looked through his long lashes all the things that were on the table.

_**"Look, Darren, here you have a paper tray and there you have crayons, pencils, and markers. You also have scissors and glue. You can draw something nice and then you can give it to your mommy. What do you think?"**_ The teacher asked with a warm smile, squatting next to him, and the little Darren nodded slowly. _**"Good! Okay, I'll see what other things I can bring you and you can start drawing right now. Is that fine?" **_She asked and he nodded again, avoiding her eyes. _**"Okay, I'll be back soon. Have fun, Darren!"**_

Darren saw how his teacher stood up and walked towards other kids who were playing with puzzles. Darren shifted his gaze to the table and, timidly, he grabbed one paper from the paper tray and then grabbed one marker to start scrawling. He didn't know what he could draw, so he was just scrawling a yellow sun as big as the sun he saw when he woke up in the morning.

_**"Hi!" **_Darren suddenly heard a little girl's voice.

He looked through his lashes and saw a girl of his age with long hair in a ponytail, wearing a long pink dress, standing right next to him with a huge smile, showing all of her tiny teeth. He noticed she didn't have her two central incisor teeth; surely the tooth fairy visited her while she was sleeping and replaced her lost teeth with a small payment. Darren didn't know that girl, but he did like her smile. He thought she looked beautiful like the princesses of his Disney movies. However, he was feeling very shy, so he hunched his shoulders and placed his tiny hands under his butt, looking down and swinging his legs.

_**"I've never seen you before! Are you a newbie?"**_ The little girl asked, still with that wide smile, while rocking with her arms crossed on her back. Darren just nodded awkwardly. He thought he liked her voice because it was mellow and cheery. _**"Oh! I love talking to the newbies!"**_ The little girl hopped while moving a chair to sit next to him. He got surprised when the girl sat next to him, so he raised his eyebrows and gasped. _**"What's your name?"**_

_**"Darren."**_ The boy answered while rubbing his knees. _**"What's your name?"**_ The shy kid dared to ask.

He thought that maybe he shouldn't have asked because his mom, long ago, taught him not to talk to strangers. But when the little girl grinned brightly with shiny eyes, he thought she was a nice stranger.

_**"My daddy calls me Nuggie; you can call me like that if you want."**_ She answered merrily and the little Darren, for the first time since he arrived, chuckled softly, covering his little mouth.

_**"It's funny, like a nugget!"**_ He said grinning, looking at the little girl in the eye.

For the first time, he didn't feel ashamed of looking at someone in the eye. When the little girl laughed loudly, Darren thought that was the most wonderful laughter he has ever heard, so his hazel eyes twinkled and a big smile spread across his face. The little girl thought this boy was funny and she liked his dark curls; he reminded her of her little poodle puppy.

_**"Do you wanna be my friend?"**_ The little girl asked with a goofy grin, showing all of her teeth. The little Darren shrugged his shoulder, placing his cheek on his shoulder with a shy but happy smile.

_**"Yes, do you wanna be mine?" **_He asked timidly. The little girl's face lit up and she thought he was very nice and cute, just as her puppy.

_**"Only if I can call you puppy."**_ She answered.

Darren burst out laughing, placing his hands on his tummy and throwing his head back. The little girl thought his laughter was very catchy and merry and she liked when other kids laughed. Then Darren looked at the little girl and he showed her all of his tiny teeth.

_**"Okay, you can call me puppy."**_ He agreed while giggling. He thought that maybe being in kindergarten wasn't so bad now that he had a new friend.

_**"It must be a deal, shaking hands as adults do!"**_ The little girl exclaimed while pouncing on her chair, so Darren giggled again. She extended her hand and so did Darren, then they shook their hands. _**"From now on we'll be the puppy and nuggie team!"**_ She exclaimed.

This made Darren smile widely. He was never part of a team before, and this was something good. The little girl also thought it was good to be part of a team, since she had friends but they were never interested in having a team. She thought that maybe her new friend Darren was a special friend, and Darren thought the same about her.

_**"Do you wanna play with acrylic paints?"**_ She asked and Darren nodded energetically.

When she saw his positive answer, she stood up very excited and she took his hand to help him stand up. The boy was very stunned when his new friend did this; he thought her hands were very soft and warm, so he closed his hand on hers, holding it very tightly. The girl liked when he did this, so she grinned and then they started to walk hopping, flapping their arms, holding hands, to the area where the 2 station easel was. Each one of them grabbed a brush and Darren grabbed the blue acrylic paint and Nuggie grabbed the yellow one.

_**"We should paint a sky with fluffy clouds and a bright and big sun!"**_ The girl proposed and Darren giggled. _**"Do you wanna be a cloud or a sun?"**_

_**"I wanna be a sun!"**_ Darren exclaimed excitedly, jumping and throwing his hands up. Nuggie giggled, thinking he would make a good sun.

_**"Then I'll be the cloud that is gonna protect you!" **_She exclaimed and Darren giggled. He thought it was nice to know that a cloud would protect him.

_**"Do you think it will be a magical sky where the fairies fly while watching us?"**_ The now happy boy asked, looking deeply into the girl's big eyes.

_**"Oh, yes! Yes, yes, yes! They will be the most gorgeous fairies, with beautiful dresses and colorful wings!"**_ The little girl jumped with excitement, closing her hands and pressing her forearms.

Darren thought that was weird, he never saw someone doing that and it seemed to be funny, so he did it as well, feeling how his curls were flying. When they stopped jumping, one of his curls was covering his hazel eye, so the little girl giggled and tucked his curl behind his hair.

_**"Maybe you should paint the cloud the way you see me, and I will paint the sun the way I see you. What do you think?"**_ She asked with a sweet grin and he nodded, thinking it was a great idea. _**"What about the fairies? Who will paint them?"**_ She asked confused.

Then she made a grimace like twitching her nose and that reminded him of a TV show called Bewitched, so he gasped in amazement, raising his eyebrows, widening his eyes and parting his lips. Maybe she was magical! Maybe she was a witch and she could cast magical spells, maybe she could also use spoken incantations.

_**"Are you a witch?"**_ Darren asked amazed, looking fixedly at the little girl as she burst out laughing.

_**"Maybe I am! And with this paint I can make you magical too! Do you wanna be magical like me?"**_ She asked amused.

_**"Yes! Yes I want to be magical like you! And we could be the magical team!"**_ Darren exclaimed enthusiastically.

_**"Alright, close your eyes! I'll cast a magical spell!"**_ She exclaimed and Darren closed his eyes with a goofy smirk. _**"Hocus Pocus, I want Darren to be magical! Poof!"**_ She exclaimed loudly and the Darren opened his hazel eyes very slowly, feeling a bit dazed, and he blinked several times as though he was trying to check if something has changed on him.

_**"So? Is it done? Am I magical now?"**_ He asked secretively.

_**"No, not yet! There's one thing missing."**_ She whispered in a secret and he got closer. _**"The paint pact."**_ She whispered and he frowned slightly. He did not know what the paint pact was. _**"We have to paint our hands with these acrylic paints. Like this!"**_ She exclaimed and demonstrated him what he had to do.

She put yellow acrylic paint in her left hand and she clasped her hands together, so as to spread uniformly the paint in her whole hands. Darren did the same with the blue acrylic paint. He observed his own tiny hands and he chuckled because now his hands were blue and that was weird, he was like a Smurf.

_**"I look like a Smurf and you look like Winnie the Pooh!"**_ Darren exclaimed with his sweet and childish voice and the girl laughed loudly. _**"Now, what do we have to do?"**_ He asked.

_**"We have to play Pat-a-Cake. Do you know that game?"**_ She asked and he nodded. _**"So let's start!"**_ She exclaimed excited.

So they began to sing that well known song, clapping their own hands and clapping against each other's hands.

_Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man _

_Bake me a cake as fast as you can _

_Pat it and prick it and mark it with a B _

_Put it in the oven for baby and me_

They sang while giggling and clasping their hands. When they finished, they looked at their own hands and they laughed because now their hands were yellow and blue, and in some points, for unknown reasons to them, were green. Both Darren and Nuggie thought that they were colorful and that was magic, real magic. After a while, the girl looked up while Darren was still contemplating his hands; she walked closer to him and she placed both of her hands on his chubby cheeks. Darren looked up very astounded and the girl stepped back, laughing joyfully for seeing his now painted face.

_**"Your face is colorful now!"**_ She squealed and Darren's face showed a huge smile. Then he ran to Nuggie and placed both of his hands on her cheeks.

_**"Yours too!"**_ He squealed with a sympathetic laugh. _**"I think we're magical now!"**_

_**"We should corroborate it!"**_ She said.

_**"How are we gonna do it?"**_ Darren asked confused, trying to imitate the grimace that his friend did minutes ago. He tried to twitch his nose, but it was a little hard; he thought that maybe with practice he'd get it.

_**"We should run outside and see if we can run faster than other kids! If we can, it's because we're magical!"**_ She exclaimed.

Darren puffed his chest, holding his breath for few seconds, as an expression of wonder; then he released his breath and nodded vividly. This time it was him the one who held her hand. The girl smiled, thinking that gesture meant they were true friends as Darren thought that holding her hand will make them both be more magical and powerful. Also, he sensed he liked holding her hand because that showed she was his friend and only his friend. Holding hands, they began to run outside, squealing and giggling. They ran around the slid and the swings, then around the seesaw and the horse spring rider, and they ended up jumping into the sand box, lying on the sand, always holding hands. They both felt how the sand infiltrated their hairs and bodies, but that didn't matter; they were just laughing and feeling happy because they proved they were the most magical kids in the kindergarten. Darren turned his face to look at Nuggie, who was looking at the sky with a bright smile, and he thought she was a pretty girl when the sunlight illuminated her face. Then he had the best idea ever. He kneeled in the sand right next to her and he began to tickle her neck as she started shrinking and laughing out loud. He couldn't help laughing and then Nuggie kneeled to start tickling his stomach. After a while, they both gave up tickling, but they remained giggling.

_**"What if we build a castle, so you can live in there? All princesses need their castle!"**_ Darren exclaimed sweetly and Nuggie grinned.

_**"You think I'm a princess?"**_ She asked curiously.

_**"Yes! You're like those pretty princesses of my Disney movies!"**_ He answered genuinely, as all kids always tend to respond. He grabbed a plastic bucket and a shovel. _**"Help me build it!"**_

_**"On the condition you're the prince and it'll be our fantastic castle!"**_ She answered and Darren's hazel eyes twinkled as a goofy grin spread across his face.

_**"Like a Disney prince?"**_ He asked and she nodded.

_**"Yes! But you have to be Aladdin and I have to be Jasmine because I always wanted to have a tiger called Rajah as a pet!" **_

_**"Yes! I always wanted to have a monkey called Abu as a pet!" **_

_**"And we could have our own magic carpet!"**_

_**"And we can find the lamp, unleashing Genie who will grant us three wishes!" **_

_**"And we could sing that beautiful song!"**_

_**"Which one? A whole new world?"**_ He asked while frowning and Nuggie nodded. _**"I know that song by heart!"**_

_**"Oh, me too!"**_ She squealed, bouncing in the sand.

Then Darren dared to hold her hand again and when the girl smiled, they stood up and giggled. Both of them knew that it was time to sing the song they both loved... It was what both of them wanted to do since Nuggie mentioned she wanted to be Jasmine. It was always her dream to sing that song with someone; and Darren adored that song. He used to sing that song only with his mommy; but he thought he could make an exception because Nuggie was his friend.

(Darren) _I can show you the world_

_Shining, shimmering, splendid_

_Tell me, princess, now when did_

_You last let your heart decide?_

_I can open your eyes_

_Take you wonder by wonder_

_Over, sideways and under_

_On a magic carpet ride_

_A whole new world_

_A new fantastic point of view_

_No one to tell us no_

_Or where to go_

_Or say we're only dreaming_

(Nuggie) _A whole new world_

_A dazzling place I never knew_

_But when I'm way up here_

_It's crystal clear_

_that now I'm in a whole new world with you_

(Darren) _Now I'm in a whole new world with you_

(Nuggie) _Unbelievable sights_

_Indescribable feeling_

_Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling_

_Through an endless diamond sky_

(Nuggie) _A whole new world_

(Darren) _Don't you dare close your eyes_

(Nuggie) _A hundred thousand things to see_

(Darren) _Hold your breath - it gets better_

(Nuggie) _I'm like a shooting star_

_I've come so far_

_I can't go back to where I used to be_

(Darren) _A whole new world_

(Nuggie) _Every turn a surprise_

(Darren) _With new horizons to pursue_

(Nuggie) _Every moment gets better_

(Both) _I'll chase them anywhere_

_There's time to spare_

_Let me share this whole new world with you_

(Darren) _A whole new world_

(Nuggie) _A whole new world_

(Darren) _That's where we'll be_

(Nuggie) _That's where we'll be_

(Darren) _A thrilling chase_

(Nuggie) _A wondrous place_

(Both) _For you and me_

When they finished singing with childish voices, they smiled and sat on the sand again to start building their castle. Their hands got dirty with sand, as well as their faces and arms. But they didn't worry about it, because for a child being dirty means nothing when they are having fun, immersed in that fantastic world they parallel create with their sheer imagination. It was as though the real world disappeared because they were now walking around the castle, with its marvelous towers of white stone, pointed arch windows and pinnacles. The castle had a huge wooden door and a bridge over a fosse with crocodiles led to there. Darren and Nuggie were walking around the playground while picturing they were in the castle. The crawl tubes were the bedrooms were the beds were, the swings were the living room that had magical armchairs that swung; and the merry-go-round was the dining room. They were now in the merry-go-round, pretending to be eating cookies that actually were cookies of sand made with sand molds. They were talking about unicorns when they heard Madeleine' voice.

_**"Hi, kids! I see that you're friends now."**_ The teacher said sweetly while squatting in front of them, looking at both of them.

_**"Yes! This is my very magical friend Nuggie!"**_ Darren squealed happily and Madeleine giggled.

_**"And this is my magical friend-puppy Darren!"**_ Nuggie squealed with a marvelous grin.

_**"And she's also my princess Jasmine and I'm her prince Aladdin! We both have pets! Mine is a monkey called Abu that is right now climbing the apple tree because he likes apples! And she has a tiger called Rajah that is currently lying near the fosse!"**_ Darren spoke really fast, rambling and slurring his words because of his excitement to say everything. The teacher raised her eyebrows and laughed.

_**"That's fantastic! And what means the hands painted in your faces?"**_ She asked intrigued.

_**"It's our paint pact! I performed a magical spell with the acrylic paints that made us be magical and powerful!"**_ Nuggie answered excited and Darren nodded with a huge grin.

_**"Oh! So I'm in front of two magical kids!"**_ Madeleine exclaimed with a bright smile. _**"And what are you doing right now?"**_

_**"We're eating the cookies we baked."**_ Darren responded, showing her the sand cookies.

_**"Do you want one, Miss Madeleine?"**_ Nuggie asked politely, handing her one of those sand cookies.

_**"Oh, thank you, kids!"**_ The teacher exclaimed, grabbing the sand mold and then she pretended to eat it. _**"This is delicious! I didn't know you were good cooks!"**_

_**"Darren just told me his mom's secret recipe!"**_ The little girl responded merrily.

_**"That sounds good! What if now we go eat lunch inside?"**_ She asked as Darren and Nuggie nodded and stood up.

Darren took her hand in his and they headed to the lunch area while hopping and running. They sat together on a table ignoring the other kids, waiting for the teacher to bring their lunch boxes. Darren was no longer feeling shy and sad; he was overflowing with joy because he made his first friend in his life. Nuggie wasn't shy but she was happy because her new friend wanted to play with her, unlike the other kids who tended to ignore her. And now the shy boy and the ignored girl were talking, laughing, joking, playing and having lunch together, sharing their food and drinks; as if the world around them didn't matter to them because they were friends. Just an hour later, when Darren and Nuggie were modeling a bear with plasticine, Madeleine stood behind them.

_**"Darren, your mommy is here!"**_ She announced.

Darren stood up quickly, very excited to hear that his mom was finally here. He wanted to tell his mommy that he acted like a big boy, always politely and kindly, and, above all, he wanted to tell his mom that he made a new magical and great friend. When he looked down, he saw Nuggie looking at him with a faint smile but sad eyes. She was having a good time with his friend Darren, so she didn't want him to leave because she was aware that everything will return to normal and she would be the ignored girl again; because his dad was still working and her mom always forgot to pick her up on time. Darren noticed that her eyes weren't as shiny as usual, he noticed something was saddening her just as the way he was sad when his mom left him here; so Darren kneeled and he gave his friend a friendly hug; a hug that was reciprocated. Although the little girl wasn't used to receive hugs from other than her dad, she liked her friend's embrace. And the little Darren also liked it, because she was his friend and he was happy for that.

_**"I'll see you tomorrow, Nuggie!"**_ Darren yelled while waving his little hand when Madeleine was leading him outside.

When the little Darren saw his mom, he let out Madeleine' hand and he ran to her. His mom squatted and he threw his arms around her neck. His mom gave him a small kiss on his temple and the little boy smiled widely.

_**"How was your first day in kindergarten, son?"**_ She asked and Darren hopped happily.

_**"It was the best day ever! I made a new friend, mommy! She's very nice and pretty like the princesses of my Disney movies! She's Jasmine and I'm Aladdin and we have a monkey and a tiger! And we live in a castle, mommy! And she's magical because she can twitch her nose and she made me magical! And we baked cookies, played with acrylic paints and plasticine! We also sang and played Pat-a-Cake! And her smile is really beautiful, mommy!"**_ Darren exclaimed slurring his words, trying to say all at once while he and his mom were walking to the car.

_**"That's so wonderful, son! I see you had a funny day and I'm glad for it. What's her name?"**_ His mom asked once they were in the car and she buckled his seat belt.

_**"Nuggie! And she is my friend!"**_ Darren squealed cheerfully, while flapping his legs and clapping. His mom chuckled and looked at her son with a fond smile.

_**"I wanna meet your friend Nuggie."**_ She said and Darren's face lit up.

_**"Yes! She can be your friend too!"**_ He exclaimed, thinking that it would be wondrous. His mom nodded in agreement. _**"I am the happiest boy in world, mommy!"**_

Darren looked through the car window up to the sky and smiled brightly when he saw the clouds. There was his friend Nuggie protecting him.

An hour and half after Darren was gone, Nuggie was the only girl who was still in the kindergarten. She was painting a sky with a big sun and a cloud when Madeleine sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her. The little girl looked at her teacher with a faint smile and her teacher smiled back.

_**"Your mom will soon arrive."**_ The teacher said gently and Nuggie nodded and returned to her painting. _**"Can I join you?"**_ She asked while grabbing a brush. Nuggie grinned and nodded as response. The teacher painted a little bird on the sky, but Nuggie thought that was a fairy. _**"We should paint some mountains, trees and flowers; what do you think?"**_ She asked.

_**"Yes, I'd like that. But I don't know how to paint a mountain." **_The little girl responded, twitching her nose.

_**"It's not so hard..."**_

_**"Kiddo, here I am! Your father wouldn't take a break of his mediocre job to come here and he made me cancel my plans for shopping to come to pick you up."**_ Nuggie heard her mother's voice saying in an angry way. The little girl saw how her teacher stood up to look at her mother a bit displeased.

_**"Ma'am, it was supposed you had to pick your daughter up an hour and half ago."**_ Her teacher said and the little girl stood up to look for her backpack.

_**"Excuse me, but I am a busy woman, not some sort of average kindergarten teacher."**_ The little girl's mother said contemptuously. _**"Come on, kiddo, look for your things and let's go."**_

_**"I am ready, mom."**_ The little girl responded lowly.

_**"Good, let's go."**_ Her mother demanded.

The little girl tried to hold her hand, but apparently her mom didn't see her, because she started walking away. Nuggie wondered why her mom never saw her when she wanted to take her hand. The girl looked at her teacher and waved her hand as Madeleine smiled sadly, but waved her hand.

_**"Oh, wait, Nuggie!"**_ Madeleine exclaimed before she could leave the building. The girl turned her face and her teacher took the painting they were making minutes ago. _**"I thought that maybe you would like to keep this wonderful painting."**_

_**"Yes!"**_ Nuggie exclaimed happily.

_**"What? No! I don't want trash at my home!" **_Her mother voiced upset and the little girl pouted.

_**"It's not trash, mommy. It's my painting and I'm the cloud and Darren is the sun!" **_Nuggie exclaimed with a sweet smile.

_**"Who is that Darren, eh? No, we're not bringing that... awful thing."**_ Her mother responded in a scornful way. Nuggie looked down and felt tears forming in the corner of her eyes when she heard her mommy saying that her painting of her and Darren was awful.

_**"You should be more supportive with your daughter."**_ Madeleine said firmly while frowning.

_**"Excuse me? You won't tell me what I have to do or not with my daughter."**_ Her mother answered while narrowing her eyes.

_**"Nuggie..."**_ Her teacher said while squatting, so the little girl looked at her with teary eyes. _**"This is the most wonderful painting I've ever seen. You're one talented girl."**_ She said with a kind smile, tapping the tip of Nuggie' nose, so the girl chuckled softly. _**"You should keep this painting. Take it and save it in your bedroom."**_ The teacher said while handing her the painting. Nuggie took it and smiled before kissing her teacher's cheek. _**"We'll paint again tomorrow. Okay?"**_ Madeleine asked and she nodded.

_**"Well, enough. Let's go, kiddo. I have things to do."**_ Her mother demanded and Nuggie tried to hold her hand again, but her mother just walked to the car.

She waved at her teacher one more time and then she stood in tip toe to open the car door. She sat on the passenger seat and buckled the seat belt by herself, and then her mother started the car. She flapped her legs while looking at the painting and she grinned. She liked that painting.

_**"I made a new friend, mommy. His name's Darren and he made me laugh. I'm happy that he's my friend! We played and sang and he told me that..."**_ Nuggie started telling her mother her experience in kindergarten.

_**"Kiddo, I'm not in mood to listen to you right now. I'm driving."**_ Her mother cut her off.

Nuggie pouted and looked through the car window. Her lips began to tremble as few silent tears ran down her chubby cheeks. Why couldn't her mom like Darren the way she liked him? When she looked up the sky and she saw the bright sun, she wiped her tears away and grinned softly. She closed her eyes and let the sun warm her. She knew that Darren was that big sun and that made her feel happy again.

* * *

Next day Darren was very excited and anxious to go to the kindergarten because he would play with his friend. This was none as the first day in kindergarten when he was begging his mom not to take him to that place, now he was begging her to hurry up to go there. When they arrived to the kindergarten, Darren saw his friend swinging on the swings alone. His face lit up when he saw her, even if she didn't see him. Darren tugged his mom's shirt.

_**"Mommy! Mommy! Look! Look over there! That's my friend!"**_ Darren squealed while pointing Nuggie. _**"Nuggie! Nuggie!"**_ Darren screamed happily.

The little girl finally saw him and her face reflected joy. She was indeed happy for seeing her puppy-friend; she was actually waiting for him to arrive so that they could play. She ran to him and then she stopped and smiled brightly, rocking with her arms crossed on her back, as the first day Darren met her.

_**"Hi, Darren!"**_ She greeted cheerfully with that smile that Darren liked so much.

_**"Hi, Nuggie!"**_ The little boy greeted.

He dared to give her a noisy kiss on her cheek. The little girl felt surprised when he did that, but she grinned merrily because it felt nice that other person besides her daddy gave her a kiss. And Darren liked her smell and her soft skin; he thought that maybe kissing a girl on the cheek wasn't bad so maybe he could do it more often. Darren noticed how his mom crouched and looked at the little girl, giving her one of her loving smiles. And he did not feel jealous because he really wanted Nuggie and his mom to be friends.

_**"So you're Nuggie, right?"**_ Darren's mom asked gently.

_**"Yes, ma'am."**_ The girl answered politely.

She was still rocking and she heard how Darren's mom laughed softly. The little girl thought she liked her friend's mom, because she was willing to listen to her and her smile was warm, she wished she could have a mom like her.

_**"You're a very polite girl. I'm Darren's mom and he has told me a lot about you. It seems you are one special girl and I'm glad you're friends."**_ Darren's mom said affectionately, so the girl gave her a lively grin, showing all of her tiny teeth. _**"Maybe someday you can come to our house and I could give you a hot chocolate and cake. Would you like that, Nuggie?"**_ She asked.

The little girl puffed her chest in amazement while nodding energetically as a response. She thought it'd be funny to play with Darren any longer, instead of playing alone at her house, covering her ears not to hear her parents yelling. Darren felt very happy when his mom said this because he really wanted to play with his friend outside kindergarten. He thought he could show her all of his toys and then they could watch the Lion King together.

_**"Well, then, I'll talk to your mom to ask if she's okay with that."**_ Darren's mom said gently.

_**"My mommy won't be able to talk to you, ma'am, because she's always busy to listen. You'll have to talk to my daddy, but you'll have to call him at night, when he returns from work."**_ The little girl said shyly, looking down and rocking. Darren saw how his mom frowned slightly and he didn't understand why she did that.

_**"Well, maybe I can talk to your mom when she picks you up."**_ Darren's mom said and Nuggie shook her head.

_**"My mommy won't pick me up because she says she has not time for that because she has to do more important things like having lunch with her friends; so she hired a nanny because my dad is working."**_ The girl answered and Darren's mom frowned again and pursed her lips.

_**"Alright, sweetheart, we'll find a way to ask your parents if you can come to our house."**_ The little boy's mom said kindly and his friend smiled widely while nodding.

_**"Mrs. Criss, I see you met your son's adorable friend."**_ Madeleine suddenly said, petting the little girl's hair.

_**"Yes, I did. She seems to be adorable, indeed." **_Darren's mom said while standing up, and then she got closer to the teacher. _**"She mentioned something about her parents... Is everything okay?"**_ She asked almost in a whisper. The teacher bit her lips and shook her head.

_**"Unfortunately, no. Her parents are going through a divorce and things are complicated. Her dad loves her, but her mother seems she doesn't care about her, she does not treat her as a child and she's not so supportive in this difficult moment. Yet, her mother is fighting for the custody."**_ The teacher explained in a whisper.

_**"What's a divorce, mom?" **_The little Darren asked curiously. Both the teacher and his mom looked at him.

_**"I'll explain you later, son. Why don't you go play with your friend, eh?" **_His mom proposed and he nodded eager to play with his friend.

Darren and Nuggie went to the sand box and they sat there. Nuggie buried her hand on the sand and then she raised her tiny hand, seeing how the sand slipped through her fingers. Darren noticed that his friend didn't look so happy today; her eyes in the sunlight weren't as shiny as the day before. Maybe the divorce was a bad thing and that was saddening her. He didn't want to see his friend sad; he wanted to see her smiling and happy like a bird singing. He moved closer and he took her tiny hand in his own; she looked at him through her lashes and he smiled at her.

_**"Maybe today I can be the cloud protecting you."**_ Darren said with mellow voice and Nuggie grinned.

_**"Would you do that?"**_ She asked looking into his big hazel eyes.

_**"Of course. I am your friend. We'll be like Simba and Nala, who are always together, playing and protecting each other."**_ Darren responded sweetly.

Nuggie grinned and enfolded her arms around him as he did the same, caressing her hair. When Darren touched her hair, he decided he liked her hair because it was silky and it smelled really good. Nuggie thought she liked the fact he was stroking her hair, because she always liked that. In that moment, the two of them thought that they could be best friends, just as Simba and Nala. And the two of them adored that idea.

* * *

After a month of playing, talking and laughing with his friend, Nuggie was gonna visit his house; not only that but also her dad gave her permission for a sleepover. It was Saturday and Darren was jumping in his bed in his pajamas, very happy because his very magical friend was gonna know all of his secret places in the house, places he did not share with anyone else, not even with his brother Chuck.

_**"Darren, darling, get dressed because Nuggie will arrive soon."**_ His mom said from his bedroom door.

_**"Yay! Nuggie is gonna come! Nuggie is gonna come! Nuggie is gonna come!"**_ He screamed excitedly, still jumping in the bed.

_**"Okay, little guy!"**_ His mother exclaimed amused.

She walked to his bed, caught him in the air and held him up as he wrapped his arms around her neck. He giggled when his mom tickled his tummy and then gave him a small kiss on his chubby cheek. Then she tucked a curl behind his hair and they rubbed their noses back and forth against each other, like an Eskimo kiss.

_**"Are you happy that your friend is gonna come?"**_ His mom asked and the little boy's eyes twinkled as a smirk spread across his face.

_**"Yes, mommy! Super-duper happy! We will play and eat candies all day long and all night long and all next day long!"**_ He squealed in excitement and his mom chuckled, tapping the tip of his nose.

_**"That's right, my curly boy. But you know that at night..."**_ His mom started warning and he nodded, knowing what she was gonna say.

_**"Yes, at night we have to sleep like bears and not make noises."**_ He finished the sentence.

_**"And..."**_

_**"And candies are not allowed at night because it is not good for health."**_ He said while nodding and his mom smiled proudly.

_**"That's good, but you're missing something..." **_

_**"If Nuggie asks me if we can share my rocketship blanket, I have to share it with her and not to yell at her like I yell at Chuck when he wants it."**_ The little boy answered and his mom nodded while stroking his curls. _**"But I do want to share my rocketship blanket with her, even if she doesn't ask for it!"**_ He exclaimed and his mom raised her eyebrows in surprise.

_**"Really? And why you never want to share it with your brother?"**_ His mom asked curiously.

_**"Because Chuck is my brother, but Nuggie is my best friend and I want to share everything with her because she makes me happy."**_ The curly boy answered with a very sweet grin.

_**"You like her, don't you?"**_ His mom asked with an amused smirk while looking deeply into his hazel eyes. He shook his head strongly.

_**"I love her, mommy."**_ He responded with mellow voice as his eyes twinkled. He saw how his mom smiled widely and then few tears streamed down her face. He frowned and placed one tiny hand on her cheek. _**"Why are you crying, mommy?" **_

_**"Because you're adorable." **_She answered with a soft chuckle, kissing his chubby cheek.

_**"But you don't have to cry, mommy! I don't wanna see you sad!"**_ The boy voiced while fondling his mom's cheek.

_**"Not all the tears are tears of sadness, sweetheart. Some tears are tears of happiness. Right now, these are happy tears because I have the most adorable son. And that's you, little guy!"**_ His mom said smiling, tickling his tummy again, so he giggled. _**"Okay, now I want you to get dressed. You really wanna be ready to play when Nuggie arrives."**_ She said, placing him on the floor as he nodded and hopped.

His mom took a t-shirt, a pair of short pants, a pair of socks and his slippers and helped him to get dressed. Then she combed his hair and forced him to wash his teeth. When he was ready, they went downstairs and sat in the living room to wait for Nuggie.

_**"Darren, I want you to remember what we talked earlier. You have to be polite because your friend is not going through a good moment."**_ His mom warned and the boy nodded.

_**"Yes, mommy. I won't fight with her because I want to make her happy, make her smile as bright as the sun and make her eyes shine as sparkly as the stars!"**_ The curly boy exclaimed cheerfully as his mom covered her mouth and shed few tears again while looking at her little son.

It wasn't till days ago that his mom explained him what a divorce was. Now Nuggie' parents won't live together with her, but both of them will love her just as much as before, only that now Nuggie will have two houses and she will spend the weeks with his mother and the weekends with his father. By this time, Darren knew her parents. He didn't like her mom because once Nuggie gave her mom a drawing that both Nuggie and him made for her and she just threw it in a trash can, making his best friend cry. But he did like her dad, because he always played with her and once he helped them to build a house with Lego blocks. Now Nuggie was gonna come with her dad and he was gonna spend the afternoon with them. When the bell rang, Darren ran to the door and he stood in tip toe to open the door. When he saw his best friend, his face reflected contentment. He quickly pulled her into a hug.

_**"Nuggie! I'm happy you're here! Come with me, I wanna show you my collection of stickers!"**_ Darren exclaimed while taking her hand and making her enter the house as his mom walked to the door, where Nuggie' dad was standing with a bag with Nuggie' clothes.

_**"Hello, Mrs. Criss."**_ Her dad greeted politely.

_**"Please, call me Cerina."**_ His mom answered.

"_**Only if you call me Will."**_ Her dad answered with a chuckle.

_**"Of course; come in, Will. I'll offer you a coffee since the kids seem to be very entertained looking at Darren's collection of stickers."**_ His mom said and so that Will entered.

They sat on the couches of the living room as Darren and Nuggie were sitting cross legged on the floor, observing the collection of stickers. Darren took one pink sticker with a heart shape and stuck it on Nuggie' left cheek. She laughed softly and Darren grinned when he heard his beautiful laughter.

_**"I know pink is your favorite color and the heart is because I'm giving you my heart because you're my best friend."**_ Darren said a bit shyly but tenderly as the little girl smiled widely, thinking that she had the best friend ever.

_**"Can I pick one for you?"**_ She asked gently.

_**"Sure!"**_ Darren responded as he observed her, intrigued to know which one she will pick for him.

_**"This one!"**_ She exclaimed while sticking a sticker of a rainbow on his cheek. _**"Because you're the rainbow that colors my life and makes me feel happy, happy, happy! Like a happy panda!"**_ She said giggling and he chuckled.

_**"Thank you, you make me so happy too."**_ The curly boy answered while kissing her cheek as the little girl chuckled. _**"Do you wanna ride a tricycle?"**_ He asked and she clapped excited; so he took her hand and they stood up, walking to where their parents were. _**"Mommy, can Nuggie and I ride a tricycle?"**_ He asked and their parents looked at them and laughed.

"_**Of course you can, Darren. But only in the backyard."**_ Cerina responded.

_**"And can I, daddy?"**_ Nuggie asked and his dad smiled.

_**"Yes, you can, Nuggie."**_ He answered and the kids jumped in excitement as they ran to the backyard.

_**"I have two tricycles! One for you and one for me! We should play a racing! The first who reaches the tree is the one who wins!"**_ Darren exclaimed in a hyper way and Nuggie nodded.

_**"I like it! What's for the winner?"**_ She asked and Darren twitched his nose. Yes, he learned how to do that after days and days of practicing it in front of the mirror.

_**"The winner will tell the loser one thing that the loser has to do!"**_ He answered.

_**"It's a deal! We must shake our hands!" **_The girl replied so that they shook their hands.

Right after that, they began to ride the tricycles as fast as possible because the two of them wanted to win. Darren had in mind since the beginning what he wanted, so he did his best to win. And he won. They stood in front of each other and they laughed, because that was fun.

_**"Okay, it seems I lost. What do you want me to do?"**_ She asked innocently. Darren tangled his hands because he was a little nervous.

_**"I want you to dance with me." **_He said and the little girl twitched her nose and frowned.

_**"But I can't dance."**_ She answered.

_**"I'll teach you."**_ He said while shrugging.

_**"Okay."**_ Nuggie agreed and Darren smiled and got in position.

_**"Wait, there's no music to dance!"**_ She exclaimed, frowning confused.

_**"It doesn't matter!"**_ Darren giggled.

He extended his arms and so did Nuggie; they crossed their arms and they held hands like this. Then they began to spin slowly, but as they spun and spun, they were increasing the speed. They both were spinning in circles and when their hairs began to fly and the breeze was hitting their faces, they felt as though they were flying high like a kite. They felt free, so they laughed with happiness. After a while, they stopped and Darren took one of her hands and made her do a scratch spin; they held both hands and they started flapping their hands and arms. At some point, Darren thought they could dance like Cinderella and Prince Charming danced before midnight; because in that moment the little girl reminded him of Cinderella because she was wearing a blue dress and a blue headband. So he made full eye contact with Nuggie, he put his right hand on her left hip side and his left hand gently grasped her right hand and hold it up at about shoulder-level so that both of their arms were bent upward from the elbow. When she placed her hand on his shoulder, he began to lead the dance and she followed his movement. The movements were slow and smooth, transferring their weight back and forth, but also they were a bit awkward because none of them knew how to dance something like this. However, they did believe they were part of one of the Disney movies, they believed they were experts and they were a prince and a princess. In the meantime, Cerina and Will were spying them through the window of the living room, both of them smiling kindly and a bit amused, realizing how cute it was for two kids to dance a ballad as if they were part of a magical kingdom.

_**"You have a fountain!"**_ Nuggie suddenly gasped with eyes wide open.

_**"Yes, do you wanna see it?"**_ Darren asked and she nodded.

They both ran to the fountain and, once there, they looked at their own reflections in the water and started making silly faces, like crossing eyes and puckering, monkey faces, placing the forefingers in the corners of their mouths to stick out their tongue, inflate the cheeks and pull out their ears, and a lot more. They ended up laughing boisterously, placing their hands on their bellies.

_**"Your shoe lace is untied."**_ The curly boy suddenly stated and the little girl looked down and smiled shyly.

_**"Yes, I haven't learned how to tie my shoe laces yet." **_She confessed, shrugging a shoulder and placing her cheek on it, feeling a little bit ashamed.

_**"I can teach you! I recently learned how to do it by myself!"**_ He exclaimed excited, kneeling and grabbing her shoe laces as she squatted to look closer. _**"First you have to tighten the shoe by pulling on the ends of the strings on the right and left side of the shoe."**_ He explained while doing it. _**"Then you cross the left and right strings like this."**_ He said and he did it with his tiny hands. _**"Take the new left end and make a loop with it. Then make a loop out of the new right, and put that loop over the left loop. Tie them in a knot, pull tightly and you're done!"**_ He exclaimed as he finished tying her shoelaces.

_**"Thank you, Darren!"**_ She said kindly.

She leaned over to peck his cheek. Darren grinned and blushed slightly when she kissed his cheek; he thought it was always nice to feel her kisses on his cheek and he wished that his friend could also like his kisses on her cheek. After that, they began to play hide and seek, hopscotch, with marbles, cat's cradle, hand-clap games like 'Miss Mary Mack' and 'Say, Say, My Playmate'. They both were having real fun and they didn't even play with toys or crayons; they thought this was funnier than in kindergarten inasmuch as here no boy or girl would interrupt them or tell them cruel words. Here it was just Darren and Nuggie, living and playing in their own fantastic world, surrounded by other imaginary friends like fairies, elves and goblins; also magical unicorns and friendly dragons and colorful butterflies and playful bees. They were surrounded by trees of all colors with huge branches; big, small and giant flowers; crystalline rivers and snowy mountains; fluffy clouds, bright sun, sparky moon and stars; and the most wonderful rainbow that lead to a cottage made of chocolate. And they were happy in there. There were no tears, there were no sadness and there were no bad things; it was world of smiles, laughter, imagination, dreams and games; in such a way that they called it The Happyland.

_**"Kids, who's ready to play Simon Says?"**_ Nuggie' dad suddenly asked, walking to the garden with Darren's mom.

_**"Me! Me!"**_ Darren and Nuggie exclaimed in unison.

Consequently, Cerina and Will joined the kids and they all sat on the grass, playing Simon Says. Both Darren and Nuggie thought that not all adults were boring, because his mom and her dad still enjoyed playing games with kids, and that was something that made them smirk. When they were having hot chocolate with marshmallows and chip cookies, Darren's dad and brother arrived from his cousin's home. Darren ran to his dad and enfolded his arms around his legs as his dad stroked his curls.

_**"Daddy, I missed you!"**_ The curly boy exclaimed.

_**"I missed you too, little guy."**_ He said while giggling.

_**"Look, daddy, look! Nuggie is here!"**_ Darren squealed, pointing Nuggie who smiled shyly, flapping her legs while sitting on the chair. _**"Come here, Nuggie!"**_ Darren screamed, running to Nuggie and taking her hand to lead her to his father and brother. _**"This is my best friend, Nuggie!"**_ He said proudly, flapping their hands which were still clasping together.

_**"Hi, Nuggie. I'm Darren's dad, Bill."**_ His dad greeted, squatting to look at the girl in the eye. _**"It's really nice to meet my son's beautiful best friend."**_ He said kindly, petting her hair as she smiled shyly and rocked.

_**"Is this your girlfriend, Darren?" **_Darren's brother asked with an amused smirk.

_**"She's not my girlfriend!"**_ Darren shouted, pouting, frowning and crossing his arms in a tantrum as Nuggie looked down and blushed; so that all the adults in the room laughed.

_**"I'm Darren's older brother, Chuck. And if you're not Darren's girlfriend, maybe you can be my girlfriend."**_ He said jokingly, giggling.

_**"No! She's not your girlfriend! She's my best friend!"**_ Darren shouted upset, clutching her hand and standing before her, as a way to keep her away from his brother who wanted to steal his best friend. _**"Mom! Tell Chuck that she's not his girlfriend!"**_ Darren complained and the adults laughed again. _**"Let's go to my bedroom, so we can play alone, Nuggie." **_Darren whispered in her ear as a secret. When Nuggie nodded, Darren stuck out his tongue, mocking his brother.

They went upstairs and Darren led her to his bedroom. When they entered, the little girl thought he had a nice and big bedroom with lots of toys and posters of his favorite movies and cartoons; he even had some of the drawings they made together hung on the wall; so that made her grin widely. Darren jumped into the bed and he started jumping and asked her to join him. She quickly took off her shoes, because that was what her daddy taught her, and joined him. The two of them began to jump in the bed while giggling; they even played a game in which they had to jump the highest as possible; and although they were short and they couldn't jump so high, they could swear they could touch the ceiling; it was all in their minds, but it felt real to them. After that, Darren showed her all of his toys, his stuffed animals, his cars and his robots. Then Darren opened a drawer and pulled out some papers and crayons and placed them on the floor. They lay down on the floor and they began to scrawl random landscapes and human figures. They were playing a game in which each one of them had to draw something and the other had to guess what it was, so that brought them tons of giggles.

_**"Nuggie, sweetie, your dad has to go."**_ Suddenly Darren's mom said from the bedroom door._** "Do you wanna go with him or you wanna stay?"**_

_**"Mom! You said she was gonna stay this night!"**_ Darren complained while pouting and kneeling.

_**"Darren, be polite and let Nuggie decide what she wants to do." **_Cerina said serious.

_**"I wanna stay here."**_ Nuggie answered and Darren grinned widely and wrapped his arms around her neck as she giggled. Cerina, meanwhile, smiled sweetly at the situation. _**"Can I see my dad before he leaves?" **_She asked.

_**"Of course, sweetie; let's go downstairs."**_ Cerina responded kindly.

The little girl stood up and walked to the door. Cerina took her tiny hand and she gasped in amazement. This was the first time that an old woman took her hand and she didn't even ask for it. She wished that Cerina could be her mom because she was very kind. They went downstairs and when the little girl saw her dad, she ran to him as her dad held her up and stroked her hair with a fond smile.

_**"You wanna stay, Nuggie?"**_ Her dad asked and she nodded. _**"Well, then you're gonna stay and I'm gonna pick you up tomorrow, what do you say?"**_ He asked and she smiled brightly and agreed. _**"Now, I'm gonna tell you a little secret. You're daddy's most beautiful girl and I love you so much." **_He whispered in her ear.

_**"I'm your only girl, silly!"**_ She giggled adorably and her dad tickled her tummy.

_**"Oh well, that's right... But you're still the most beautiful girl and I still love you so, so, so much."**_ He said with a fond smile.

_**"How much?"**_ She asked amused.

_**"I love you from here to the moon and back."**_ He answered while giving her a small kiss on her chubby cheek, as the girl gasped in amazement.

_**"That much?"**_ She asked with her eyes wide open.

_**"Yes, that much."**_ He answered while nuzzling her nose. _**"And tell me, who's your favorite boy?"**_

_**"You are! But Darren too, because I love both of you from here to the moon and back."**_ She whispered as a secret and her dad looked at her surprised, raising his eyebrows.

_**"I've got competence, it seems."**_ He joked and she giggled. _**"What if I am your favorite old boy and Darren is your favorite little boy?"**_

_**"I'd love that, daddy! But you don't have to say anything because it's a secret!"**_ She whispered and he laughed loudly.

_**"Alright, it'll be a secret between us."**_ He winked and she chuckled, throwing her arms around him as her dad rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head. _**"Now, I want you to behave and do all that Darren's parents ask you to do."**_

_**"Yes, I'll be a good girl, daddy."**_ She said grinning and her father looked at her fondly while caressing her cheek.

_**"I know you will. I love you, Nuggie."**_ He said and kissed her forehead. _**"Now!"**_ He exclaimed loudly, placing her on the floor. _**"I want you to have fun, will you do that?"**_

_**"Of course, daddy! I always have fun with Darren!"**_ She exclaimed enthusiastically. She clutched her dad's legs and he stroked her hair. _**"Bye, daddy!"**_

_**"Bye, Nuggie. We'll see each other tomorrow." **_He said and squatted to give her a buss on the cheek.

When her daddy left, she did not cry, even if she was gonna miss him, because she was gonna be with her best friend, Darren; and he always made her smile and feel special because they were a team, the magical team. Right after, they had dinner and Darren and Nuggie played to see who was the faster to drink the entire apple juice; they also shared the food, Darren gave her his green beans and Nuggie gave him her carrot slices. They even shared the dessert, he gave her a piece of his chocolate bar and she also gave him a piece of her chocolate bar. They watched the Lion King and they got excited when they saw Simba and Nala because those were them. When the movie finished, Darren's mom said it was bedtime. They ran to the bedroom, making boisterous noises because they had an idea earlier: They were going to build a tent in Darren's bedroom to sleep. Both Darren's mom and Darren's dad helped them to build the tent with blankets and chairs and they placed the mattress on the floor, under the blankets that acted as a protection. His dad said goodnight and then he left the bedroom, but his mom stayed and helped them to put on their pajamas. Once they were ready, she tucked them in bed and then she sat next to the mattress were Nuggie and Darren were lying down. She looked at the kids and smiled fondly before singing a lullaby.

_Twinkle twinkle, little star,_

_How I wonder what you are._

_Up above the world so high,_

_Like a diamond in the sky._

_Twinkle twinkle, little star,_

_How I wonder what you are._

_When the blazing sun is gone_

_When he nothing shines upon_

_Then you show your little light_

_Twinkle, twinkle, all the night._

_Twinkle, twinkle, little star,_

_How I wonder what you are._

_Then the traveler in the dark_

_Thanks you for your tiny spark._

_He could not see where to go,_

_If you did not twinkle so._

_Twinkle, twinkle, little star,_

_How I wonder what you are!_

_In the dark blue sky you keep,_

_While you thro' my window peep,_

_And you never shut your eye,_

_Till the sun is in the sky,_

_Twinkle, twinkle, little star,_

_How I wonder what you are! _

Nuggie smiled peacefully with heavy eyes in sleep; she always wanted her mommy to sing her a lullaby, even if her daddy always sang to her. Darren also smiled with sleepy eyes because he adored when his mommy sang to him, more now that she sang for him and his best friend.

_**"Goodnight, my little angels."**_ Cerina said sweetly, kissing their foreheads.

Then she stood up and turned off the lights, yet she turned on the lamp that was on the nightstand; because the kids were scared being that they thought the Bugbear or the bogeyman could appear to get them. Now they were with their eyes closed. But Nuggie couldn't sleep. Even though she had a stupendous day with her best friend, she was feeling a little sad because she wished she could have a family as Darren's family. She loved her dad so much and he was the best daddy ever, but her mom never wanted to play with her, never sang her a lullaby and never kissed her goodnight and she couldn't understand why. Thus she shed few silent tears. Darren noticed that his best friend was still awake and when he looked at her through his long lashes, he realized that she was weeping. The curly boy didn't want to see her crying, because he knew those weren't tears of happiness as his mom explained him this morning, those were tears of sadness. He wanted to see his best friend happy because he loved her. Therefore, he moved closer and placed his tiny hand on her chubby cheek to fondle it.

_**"Why are you crying sad tears, Nuggie?"**_ He whispered with mellow voice.

_**"Because I wish my mommy could be like yours and I wish my daddy and my mommy could be together to be a family as yours." **_She whispered and the little boy felt her tears on his hand. _**"I want to have a happy family."**_

_**"But you and I are happy together. And you are my family, Nuggie."**_ He whispered lovingly, now placing both of his tiny hands on her chubby cheeks, making full eye contact with her. _**"We will always be a happy family in our castle of clouds, because we live in The Happyland. And if you close your eyes and whisper a fairy a wish, she will grant it." **_

_**"I want you and me to be a happy family in The Happyland forever and ever."**_ She whispered and the little guy smiled.

_**"We will always be together."**_ He whispered.

_**"Pinky promise?"**_ She asked, holding out her pinky as he intertwined his pinky with hers.

_**"Pinky promise."**_ He assured before kissing her cheek.

Then they put their tiny hands together and observed how beautiful they looked together. They began to caress each other's hands, observing every single of their movements, sensing the soft skin of each other, exploring every single of their particularities and feeling the nice warm of each other. They stared deeply into each other's eyes and from that time the two of them thought that they found the rainbow connection and they were now under its spell, they knew that it was probably magic. Thereby, they fell asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

It's been more than a half year since Darren and Nuggie became best friends. They had a lot of sleepovers, both at his home and at her dad's home; they spent practically all the weekends together; they played at the park, they went to the San Francisco Zoo, the movies, to the Children's Fairyland, farm parks, toy libraries, to The Cartoon Museum, the Habitot Childrens Discovery Museum, the Aquarium of The Bay, the Exploratorium, the Waterworld, to the Crissy Field beach, to the Lands End, and so many other places. They even went camping with Darren's family and Nuggie' dad. It was as if they could not be away from each other and they loved each other more and more day by day. Even his parents and her dad became friends; they were a huge happy family, as Nuggie wished and the fairy granted. Chuck also became Nuggie' friend, but Darren kept insisting that she was his best friend. The little boy could not understand why he felt so possessive when it came to Nuggie, as though he needed to keep her as his, until this morning when he woke up. He sat on the breakfast nook as his mom placed a hot chocolate with marshmallows in front of him.

_**"What happens, little guy? You don't seem to be so happy this morning."**_ His mom asked while stroking his curls.

_**"I have a problem, mommy."**_ He sighed and propped his chubby cheeks on both of his hands, pouting and frowning. His mom chuckled softly and sat in front of him.

_**"Tell me, what's your problem?"**_ She asked looking fixedly at him with an amused smirk, propping her cheek on her hand.

_**"I love Nuggie."**_ He stated as if it was the confession of the year, so his mom bit her tongue amused.

_**"I know that, sweetheart. She's your best friend; it's natural that you love her." **_She responded. He pouted and shook his head, causing his curls fly in all directions.

_**"No, mommy!"**_ He exclaimed, tugging his t-shirt and wrapping it on his arm. He was feeling nervous, so that his mom frowned slightly. _**"I'm in love with Nuggie."**_ He confessed timidly and his mother raised her eyebrows and parted her lips in surprise. Then she covered her mouth and looked sweetly at him.

_**"Are you in love with her?"**_ She asked curiously and the little boy nodded energetically. _**"Tell me, sweetie, what is love for you?" **_She requested gently and he began to rub his elbow nervously.

_**"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well. Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs. Love is when you tell a girl you like her dress, and then she wears it every day. Love is what makes you smile when you're sad. When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different; you just know that your name is safe in their mouth. When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you."**_ Darren answered while looking away, playing with both of his hands. His mother looked deeply at him and she pursed her lips as her eyes filled with tears because of his adorable response. She couldn't help shedding tears and the little boy noticed it when he looked at her. _**"Mommy, why are you crying?"**_

_**"Remember when I told you about the sad tears and the happy tears?"**_ She asked and her son nodded. _**"Well, my son, these are happy tears because your mommy is feeling very thrilled."**_ She said giggling as more tears fell down her face. She wiped her tears and smiled at the little boy. _**"Tell me why you think you're in love with Nuggie."**_

_**"Because she has the brightest smile that is able to light up the entire world. Because she has the most mesmerizing eyes that cause me to stare at them for a long time until I realize that her eyes are two small stars. Because her hair smells so good that I wish I could live in there forever."**_ Darren began to explain, looking away and smiling while twirling his hands and feet as his mom was smiling sweetly. _**"Because when she laughs, invisible butterflies come out her mouth and get inside my stomach; tickling me and making me laugh as well. Because when she looks at me her eyes twinkle and she gives me the stars that are in her eyes and the stars fly up to my heart and pinch my chest when they want to get in; it's painful at first, but then the stars shine in my heart and make me feel happy. Because when she hugs me a fairy dust emerges from her body and the same fairy dust enfolds me, so that our fairy dusts combine in only one and we can feel the warmth that reminds us that everything is fine and wonderful. Because when she kisses me the invisible Love Nymphs who live inside her sneak out to fly through my entire body, making me shiver with thrill; and they share with me her love."**_ He kept explaining with a goofy grin. By this time, his mom couldn't stop shedding tears of joy; feeling very thrilled by her son's innocent explanation of what it feels like to be in love. _**"Because when we hold our hands we find the rainbow connection. Because I am the sun that warms her and she is the cloud that protects me. Because she is my princess and I am her prince and we're destined to be together until the end of time, like in the fairy tales." **_He exclaimed excited and his mom laughed in between the tears, covering her mouth. _**"But above all, because she is my own fairy that fills me with joy and I know that next to her life is beautiful."**_ He finished and his mom covered her face with both hands to weep. She was just very moved because of that adorable and innocent explanation. It was indeed a rousing explanation. Darren tilted his head and frowned slightly when he saw his mother. _**"Mommy? Do not cry! I am telling you that I am happy."**_

_**"I'm just very moved, my son."**_ She confessed, uncovering her face and wiping her tears away to look fondly at her adorable little son. She smiled lovingly and she took his tiny hands in hers. _**"It seems you discovered what real love is."**_ She voiced and the little boy nodded. _**"But why do you think it is a problem?"**_

_**"Because I don't know how to ask her if she wants to be my girlfriend."**_ He answered and her mom giggled, wiping away the last tear that ran down her cheek.

_**"Just do what your little heart tells you to do."**_ She advised and the curly boy nodded.

_**"Yes, then the Love Nymphs that live in my heart will live in her heart as well."**_ He added and his mom smiled tenderly.

_**"Exactly. Then her Love Nymphs and your Love Nymphs will be friends and your love will be tied ever after."**_ His mom replied and he smiled widely, thinking that will be the most marvelous thing that could ever happen.

* * *

Although Darren was sure he was in love with Nuggie, he never dared to ask her if she wanted to be his girlfriend for fear that she could say no. But now it was their last day in kindergarten and then they would attend different elementary schools, and that meant he wasn't going to see her all the time as before. That was saddening him, so he thought it was time for him to ask her if she wanted to share her life with him.

It was night and he begged his mom if he and Nuggie could have a picnic to have dinner at the beach, so that he could ask her if she wanted to be his girlfriend. His mom talked to her dad and, fortunately, her dad agreed on the condition that both Darren's mom and Nuggie' dad could be watching them in the distance to check if they were safe. Therefore, Darren forced his mom to help him to dress up with his small tux, because he wanted to look like the Prince Charming; because Nuggie was the Cinderella to his Prince Charming. Darren and his mom arrived to the Lands End before Nuggie and her dad; thus that gave them time to put the blanket on the sand and place two dishes with sandwiches and two glasses with apple juice on the blanket. The curly boy was a ball of excitement and nervousness; he really wanted to see his Nuggie. Yes, his. After a while, he saw a tall man walking next to a little and beautiful princess towards him and his mom. When they reached the little boy, he couldn't help admiring the little girl. She was wearing a beautiful long blue dress, a blue headband and glass slippers -or that was what he thought- so she looked exactly like Cinderella. His mom and her dad looked at them and told them that they were going to be near if they needed them, and then they walked away. Darren, as he saw in the movie, took the little girl's hand and kissed it, so she giggled and he felt the butterflies on his stomach, tickling him.

_**"You look so pretty, like Cinderella."**_ The little boy complimented with a bright smile.

_**"And you look so handsome, like Prince Charming."**_ She complimented with a wide grin.

They kneeled on the blanket and the little boy offered her a sandwich that the little girl accepted. They started talking about random things, especially about fairy tales and puppies. She reminded him that he was a puppy, so the little boy smiled brightly and this encouraged him to finally tell the girl what he felt for her. He grabbed the basket and pulled out a little red flower that he took from his mom's garden. He clutched his tiny hands around the stem of the flower and he extended his arms, awkwardly showing her the flower.

_**"This flower is as beautiful as you are and you are even more beautiful. This flower is red as your heart is and as my heart is. And with this flower I want to tell you that my red heart wants to be part of your beautiful red heart so that we can become prince and princess like in the fairy tales."**_ He said nervously but adorably, still extending his arms to show her the flower. _**"I love you, for that reason is that I have to ask you... Will you be my girlfriend?"**_ He asked shyly as his hazel eyes twinkled. She looked into his eyes and he noticed how she gave him her stars that flied up to his heart.

_**"Yes, I will be your girlfriend."**_ She answered while taking the flower in her hands.

She was smiling so brightly that suddenly it wasn't dark, because she lit up the entire place. The little boy, for the first time, experienced something new: a feeling of pure joy that was overflowing from his entire body and soul. The little girl felt the same. The two of them though that this was the feeling that allowed the prince and the princess of the fairy tales live happily ever after. To demonstrate and cherish this new feeling, the boy and the girl moved closer to clasp each other in their arms and feel how their Love Nymphs were flying together through their bodies as though they were already friends, and how their fairy dusts combined to become one fairy dust full of cherished love and joy. They could swear that fairies were flying around them, celebrating their union. And their very own fairy tale began like this:

_Once upon a time a shy boy and an ignored girl got together and united in their playtime to become the prince and the princess of The Happyland to live happily ever after_.

"_**Do you love me the way adults love each other?" **_The little girl suddenly whispered in his ear.

"_**No, I love you for real."**_ He answered, now looking deeply into her bright eyes. The little boy took her tiny hands in his and they intertwined their fingers. _**"With you, now I understand why adults say 'I'm crazy for you' when they love someone so much. It's not because they're mad, it's because they feel something weird in their hearts that they cannot understand, so they think they're crazy. But I can understand what adults cannot; that weird feeling in the heart is that your heart now beats for the person you love, so that your heart it's not only yours, it is shared with the person you love because they are in there. And my heart is both mine and yours. It's wonderful."**_ He said very sweetly.

They stared into each other's eyes very deeply. She was giving him her stars and he was giving her his stars as they were feeling the rainbow connection because they were still holding hands. They, slowly, moved their faces closer and their lips touched very slightly. This was the boy's first kiss and it was as well the girl's first kiss. And it was magical. Suddenly something new grew in their hearts and souls: Sheer love. They separated and they giggled because it was a coping mechanism which their bodies used to let out the extreme happiness they were feeling for having found the love of their lives. They lay down on the blanket and they stared the stars peacefully, holding hands. They saw a shooting star and both of them wished they could be like this forever and ever.

"_**When I grow up, I wanna marry you."**_ Darren whispered, squeezing the little girl's hand.

"_**And when I grow up, I wanna marry you too."**_ Nuggie answered, caressing Darren's hand with her thumb.

"_**We'll grow old together in our castle and that will be beautiful."**_ He said with a tender grin.

"_**We'll see each sunrise and sunset together, we'll look up the sky and we will be eternal because you're the sun and I am the cloud."**_ She voiced as a grin spread across her face.

_**"I think the moon is you and me, combined in one soul. The moon is our love. And look how shiny it is!" **_He exclaimed as their wide smiles lit up their faces which were illuminated by the moonlight.

Thereby their playtime was replaced by the fairy tale in which they lived with eternal sheer love. And they shone ever after.

* * *

_THE END._


End file.
